I can work because I breastfeed!
The Story of Elvira L. Henares-Esguerra, MD, FPDS, FABM, IBCLC, RPh
Nona D. Andaya-Castillo
International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (2004-2024)
Many women claim that they cannot breastfeed because they work outside the home. However, Dr. Elvira L. Henares-Esguerra, a dermatologist, disagrees. “I can work because I breastfeed!” she asserts.
“When my first two children were born, I wasn’t able to breastfeed them as much as I wanted to. They were given glucose water in the hospital,” she recalls. “When I got home and my babies refused to breastfeed due to cracked nipples, there was strong family pressure to bottle-feed. I could only breastfeed them for two months, and it wasn’t even exclusive breastfeeding,” she says regretfully.
At that time, Dr. Elvira was undergoing training as a dermatologist at Makati Medical Center, which kept her away from home most of the time. There were moments when her mother, who was taking care of her children, would urgently call the hospital and ask her to come home because her daughter was constipated and crying from an inability to move her bowels—a common issue among bottle-fed babies.
Dr. Elvira realized another issue when her only daughter, Angeli’, became frightened during her swimming lessons. Instead of calling for her, the child cried out for her yaya (nanny). “It was painful to realize that my daughter was seeking comfort from someone else,” Dr. Elvira says.
After finishing her residency, Dr. Elvira made the decision to stay home and bond with her children, Angeli’ and Gabriel. “I told myself that a successful career would be meaningless if my children were not close to me,” she shares. When she became pregnant with her second son, Larry, after three miscarriages, she saw it as God’s answer to her prayers for a child—and a chance to fulfill her dream of breastfeeding. She ensured that her household supported this goal, enrolling them in ARUGAAN, a daycare for babies and toddlers at the workplace, during the summer. There, they learned how to care for babies, change diapers, play with infants, and most importantly, support a breastfeeding mother. “My son even knows how to express breast milk by hand,” she proudly states.
When Dr. Elvira gave birth, Angeli’ helped position Larry for breastfeeding. “Angeli’ told her Papa that it was enough that their father had spent many sleepless nights taking care of them. Now, it was her turn to help Mama care for her brother,” Dr. Elvira smiles. Empowered by her breastfeeding experience, Dr. Elvira became an active breastfeeding advocate. “I felt the need to learn more about how to promote, support, and protect breastfeeding, so I decided to attend several international conferences through Arugaan,” she explains.
In 2002, she took her whole family to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, for a conference on the Global Initiative on Mother Support (GIMS). Her ten-year-old son, Gabriel, was a speaker at a workshop titled “From Boys to Men: The Male Role in Mother Support,” where he shared how he and his sister supported their mother in breastfeeding. The family worked together on the presentation—her husband helped Gabriel with his PowerPoint, while Dr. Elvira and Angeli’ took turns recording the video and caring for Larry. Their presentation impressed the audience so much that Gabriel was invited to present it again during the plenary session, where the family received a standing ovation.
In Tanzania, Africa, her son Larry became the youngest delegate at the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action’s (WABA) Global Forum on Breastfeeding, where he interacted with lactation experts. Dr. Elvira also shared her family’s experience of mother support and performed a pantomime about the challenges faced by working mothers and bottle-feeding. It was at this event that Gabriel, along with the rest of her family, was nominated for WABA’s Hall of Fame.
Dr. Elvira’s travels also gave her a chance to see how easy it was to travel with a breastfeeding baby. She recalls how calm Larry was during flights, while bottle-fed babies cried throughout the journey. “I remember one baby who was crying incessantly because of a severe skin allergy, and the mother had no idea how to soothe him. I tried to assist her as a dermatologist, but I thought to myself, this could have been avoided if the child had been breastfed,” she reflects.
During her travels to the USA and India, Dr. Elvira left Larry behind for a month-long conference each time. “When I returned, Larry just kept staring at me, probably wondering why I disappeared. He was initially disoriented. But when I showed him my breast, without hesitation, he immediately breastfed. It was so touching!” she recalls. “I felt such a strong bond with my baby. Nothing can sever that connection.”
Back in the Philippines, Dr. Elvira and I (her breastfeeding counselor at the time) set up a Breastfeeding Clinic for indigent patients at Makati Medical Center, where we teach couples breastfeeding techniques and raise awareness about the dangers of bottle-feeding. “We teach husbands how to pamper their wives, cook for them, massage their backs, and be gentle with them, especially during pregnancy,” Dr. Elvira emphasizes. “We also teach them that breast milk can be preserved, making it possible to combine breastfeeding and work. A mother needs a lot of support, especially from her husband.”
Now that Dr. Elvira has returned to her dermatology practice, she occasionally brings Larry to the clinic. “He’s so friendly with my patients. He wears a doctor’s coat and even helps close the canister lids for my medicines. He’s almost five now, and I still breastfeed him,” she says confidently. As a dermatologist, Dr. Elvira also uses breast milk to heal skin diseases. “I have some pregnant patients whom I’m very cautious about when prescribing medications. They usually prefer not to take them anyway. So, I refer them to breastfeeding mothers who have received help from our Breastfeeding Clinic. They use breast milk to treat skin problems, and the itch disappears instantly!” she exclaims.
Stress can weaken the immune system, making people more susceptible to illnesses, including allergies. “I encourage patients to eat a non-allergenic diet, and a staff member gives them a healing massage to help them relax,” Dr. Elvira explains. Mothers, especially those with stressful jobs, may find that their children’s attention-seeking behaviors add to their stress when they return home. In contrast, Larry rarely has tantrums. Whenever he cries, Dr. Elvira calms him down by breastfeeding within seconds. “Breastfeeding releases endorphins in children, and oxytocin in mothers. These hormones help both mother and child relax,” Dr. Elvira explains.
“I really encourage mothers to breastfeed. It’s so relaxing for me to end a busy day of work and advocacy activities by going home to my husband and children and breastfeeding my son Larry,” Dr. Elvira says, looking fulfilled and happy.
To further support mothers, Dr. Elvira and I launched a program called Children and Youth Action for Breastfeeding. “We now promote breastfeeding to schoolchildren through tours and teacher training, showing how breastfeeding can be integrated into the school curriculum. Breastfeeding is not only food, medicine, and love; it also addresses issues of economy, ecology, empowerment, and faith.” Children are taught to perform Seven Acts of Kindness to support pregnant and breastfeeding mothers.
In 2004, Dr. Elvira and I passed a rigorous exam and became International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs). This profession, recognized by the National US Commission on Certifying Agencies since 1988, is a vital part of the healthcare team in many hospitals worldwide, including in Europe, the USA, Japan, Australia, and Canada. In the Philippines, only three of us are IBCLCs. In Korea, there are 398, and in Australia, over two thousand.
To sustain our organization’s activities, we offer birthing and natural parenting classes that cover pregnancy, natural childbirth, natural healing, infant care, and breastfeeding. “We hope to share our beautiful parenting experiences with new parents,” says Dr. Elvira.
“We are calling all breastfeeding mothers, or those who have breastfed, to contact us so we can train them as breastfeeding counselors. We want to establish a career that empowers mothers, helping them realize the incredible capacity of their bodies to nurture, heal, and regenerate,” Dr. Elvira states with determination. “This is a career that will allow mothers to confidently say, ‘I can work because I breastfeed!’”
Dr. Elvira, a dermatologist and an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, holds clinics at Makati Medical Center and Medical Plaza Ortigas.
For more information on our family counseling or natural parenting classes, please call The Breastfeeding Clinic at GLOBE +63915-399-9992
The Story of Elvira L. Henares-Esguerra, MD, FPDS, FABM, IBCLC, RPh
Nona D. Andaya-Castillo
International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (2004-2024)
Many women claim that they cannot breastfeed because they work outside the home. However, Dr. Elvira L. Henares-Esguerra, a dermatologist, disagrees. “I can work because I breastfeed!” she asserts.
“When my first two children were born, I wasn’t able to breastfeed them as much as I wanted to. They were given glucose water in the hospital,” she recalls. “When I got home and my babies refused to breastfeed due to cracked nipples, there was strong family pressure to bottle-feed. I could only breastfeed them for two months, and it wasn’t even exclusive breastfeeding,” she says regretfully.
At that time, Dr. Elvira was undergoing training as a dermatologist at Makati Medical Center, which kept her away from home most of the time. There were moments when her mother, who was taking care of her children, would urgently call the hospital and ask her to come home because her daughter was constipated and crying from an inability to move her bowels—a common issue among bottle-fed babies.
Dr. Elvira realized another issue when her only daughter, Angeli’, became frightened during her swimming lessons. Instead of calling for her, the child cried out for her yaya (nanny). “It was painful to realize that my daughter was seeking comfort from someone else,” Dr. Elvira says.
After finishing her residency, Dr. Elvira made the decision to stay home and bond with her children, Angeli’ and Gabriel. “I told myself that a successful career would be meaningless if my children were not close to me,” she shares. When she became pregnant with her second son, Larry, after three miscarriages, she saw it as God’s answer to her prayers for a child—and a chance to fulfill her dream of breastfeeding. She ensured that her household supported this goal, enrolling them in ARUGAAN, a daycare for babies and toddlers at the workplace, during the summer. There, they learned how to care for babies, change diapers, play with infants, and most importantly, support a breastfeeding mother. “My son even knows how to express breast milk by hand,” she proudly states.
When Dr. Elvira gave birth, Angeli’ helped position Larry for breastfeeding. “Angeli’ told her Papa that it was enough that their father had spent many sleepless nights taking care of them. Now, it was her turn to help Mama care for her brother,” Dr. Elvira smiles. Empowered by her breastfeeding experience, Dr. Elvira became an active breastfeeding advocate. “I felt the need to learn more about how to promote, support, and protect breastfeeding, so I decided to attend several international conferences through Arugaan,” she explains.
In 2002, she took her whole family to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, for a conference on the Global Initiative on Mother Support (GIMS). Her ten-year-old son, Gabriel, was a speaker at a workshop titled “From Boys to Men: The Male Role in Mother Support,” where he shared how he and his sister supported their mother in breastfeeding. The family worked together on the presentation—her husband helped Gabriel with his PowerPoint, while Dr. Elvira and Angeli’ took turns recording the video and caring for Larry. Their presentation impressed the audience so much that Gabriel was invited to present it again during the plenary session, where the family received a standing ovation.
In Tanzania, Africa, her son Larry became the youngest delegate at the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action’s (WABA) Global Forum on Breastfeeding, where he interacted with lactation experts. Dr. Elvira also shared her family’s experience of mother support and performed a pantomime about the challenges faced by working mothers and bottle-feeding. It was at this event that Gabriel, along with the rest of her family, was nominated for WABA’s Hall of Fame.
Dr. Elvira’s travels also gave her a chance to see how easy it was to travel with a breastfeeding baby. She recalls how calm Larry was during flights, while bottle-fed babies cried throughout the journey. “I remember one baby who was crying incessantly because of a severe skin allergy, and the mother had no idea how to soothe him. I tried to assist her as a dermatologist, but I thought to myself, this could have been avoided if the child had been breastfed,” she reflects.
During her travels to the USA and India, Dr. Elvira left Larry behind for a month-long conference each time. “When I returned, Larry just kept staring at me, probably wondering why I disappeared. He was initially disoriented. But when I showed him my breast, without hesitation, he immediately breastfed. It was so touching!” she recalls. “I felt such a strong bond with my baby. Nothing can sever that connection.”
Back in the Philippines, Dr. Elvira and I (her breastfeeding counselor at the time) set up a Breastfeeding Clinic for indigent patients at Makati Medical Center, where we teach couples breastfeeding techniques and raise awareness about the dangers of bottle-feeding. “We teach husbands how to pamper their wives, cook for them, massage their backs, and be gentle with them, especially during pregnancy,” Dr. Elvira emphasizes. “We also teach them that breast milk can be preserved, making it possible to combine breastfeeding and work. A mother needs a lot of support, especially from her husband.”
Now that Dr. Elvira has returned to her dermatology practice, she occasionally brings Larry to the clinic. “He’s so friendly with my patients. He wears a doctor’s coat and even helps close the canister lids for my medicines. He’s almost five now, and I still breastfeed him,” she says confidently. As a dermatologist, Dr. Elvira also uses breast milk to heal skin diseases. “I have some pregnant patients whom I’m very cautious about when prescribing medications. They usually prefer not to take them anyway. So, I refer them to breastfeeding mothers who have received help from our Breastfeeding Clinic. They use breast milk to treat skin problems, and the itch disappears instantly!” she exclaims.
Stress can weaken the immune system, making people more susceptible to illnesses, including allergies. “I encourage patients to eat a non-allergenic diet, and a staff member gives them a healing massage to help them relax,” Dr. Elvira explains. Mothers, especially those with stressful jobs, may find that their children’s attention-seeking behaviors add to their stress when they return home. In contrast, Larry rarely has tantrums. Whenever he cries, Dr. Elvira calms him down by breastfeeding within seconds. “Breastfeeding releases endorphins in children, and oxytocin in mothers. These hormones help both mother and child relax,” Dr. Elvira explains.
“I really encourage mothers to breastfeed. It’s so relaxing for me to end a busy day of work and advocacy activities by going home to my husband and children and breastfeeding my son Larry,” Dr. Elvira says, looking fulfilled and happy.
To further support mothers, Dr. Elvira and I launched a program called Children and Youth Action for Breastfeeding. “We now promote breastfeeding to schoolchildren through tours and teacher training, showing how breastfeeding can be integrated into the school curriculum. Breastfeeding is not only food, medicine, and love; it also addresses issues of economy, ecology, empowerment, and faith.” Children are taught to perform Seven Acts of Kindness to support pregnant and breastfeeding mothers.
In 2004, Dr. Elvira and I passed a rigorous exam and became International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs). This profession, recognized by the National US Commission on Certifying Agencies since 1988, is a vital part of the healthcare team in many hospitals worldwide, including in Europe, the USA, Japan, Australia, and Canada. In the Philippines, only three of us are IBCLCs. In Korea, there are 398, and in Australia, over two thousand.
To sustain our organization’s activities, we offer birthing and natural parenting classes that cover pregnancy, natural childbirth, natural healing, infant care, and breastfeeding. “We hope to share our beautiful parenting experiences with new parents,” says Dr. Elvira.
“We are calling all breastfeeding mothers, or those who have breastfed, to contact us so we can train them as breastfeeding counselors. We want to establish a career that empowers mothers, helping them realize the incredible capacity of their bodies to nurture, heal, and regenerate,” Dr. Elvira states with determination. “This is a career that will allow mothers to confidently say, ‘I can work because I breastfeed!’”
Dr. Elvira, a dermatologist and an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, holds clinics at Makati Medical Center and Medical Plaza Ortigas.
For more information on our family counseling or natural parenting classes, please call The Breastfeeding Clinic at GLOBE +63915-399-9992
